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This could be my last S’pore Open: Lee

SINGAPORE — World No 1 men’s singles badminton player Lee Chong Wei’s much-anticipated appearance at next month’s US$300,000 (S$380,620) OUE Singapore Open, after an absence of three years, could also be his last.

SINGAPORE — World No 1 men’s singles badminton player Lee Chong Wei’s much-anticipated appearance at next month’s US$300,000 (S$380,620) OUE Singapore Open, after an absence of three years, could also be his last.

In an interview with TODAY, the 31-year-old Malaysian, who won the tournament in 2008 and reached the quarter-finals in 2010 — the last time he played in Singapore — revealed he decided to compete this year because with age and the possibility of injuries, he is unsure if he would still be playing next year.

He explained that his tight schedule had prevented him from making more appearances in Singapore.

“I have always loved coming to the Singapore Open, but I have not done so for the past three years because of the timing of the tournament,” said Lee, a two-time Olympic silver medallist and two-time All-England champion.

“The Singapore Open is normally held just before or immediately after the Indonesian Open, which all the world’s top-10 ranked players must take part because it is a Premier Series. Because I have to compete in the Indonesian Open, it meant I had to skip the Singapore Open for the past three years because both competitions were held back to back.

“But it’s different this year. The Indonesian Open (June 17-22) is not held back to back with the Singapore Open (April 8-13). That means I have the choice of coming to Singapore and I will do it.”

Lee, who is known for his workrate and reflexes, added: “If I don’t come this year, I might not have the chance again. At my age, and with injuries always a possibility, you can never tell.”

He was referring to the ruling instituted by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) when the sport’s world governing body introduced the new Super Series in 2011 with 12 stops, with the All-England, Indonesian, China, Denmark and Korea Opens — it was replaced by the Malaysia Open this year — ranked as Premier Series level meets that offer a minimum prize purse of US$500,000.

The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) confirmed it was a deliberate scheduling of Lee’s tournaments to help prolong his career.

“Since age is catching up with him, we want to make sure he stays fit and injury-free. Playing too many tournaments is no good for him,” said BAM General Manager Kenny Goh.

Lee just recovered from an ankle injury suffered two weeks ago, and which nearly jeopardised his participation in this week’s All-England Championships in Birmingham.

“The Singapore Open has always been a part of my career with all the ups and downs,” said Lee, who was also a losing finalist in 2004.

“I have many friends, especially in Johor Baru and I am sure they will come and lend me their support when I play in Singapore. So when I received a letter from the sponsors inviting me to take part I accepted.

OUE Singapore Open organising committee Chairman Ng Yoke Weng said Lee’s confirmation is a major boost for the tournament. He said: “A player of his calibre will always be a crowd puller. His presence will boost the attendance figures.”

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